Thread: Norton kit arrived!! One question...

I'll be happy to get it shaveable!

4 years? Hmm...so if I'd started as soon as I got here, I could be where you are now...damn the wasted time!! *grin*

Thats a long time in Kosovo. Study up a little on the quality of your stroke. Once the basic concepts are down its easy to hone a razor, but you need the practice.

The great thing about the 8K is that it is cutting, but very slowly. This gives you time to practice your stroke and creates less trouble if you make a mistake.

Make sure you curl your pinky under the scales and that the scales are set to the precise pivot point that the razor will not lift off the hone when using no pressure. Your index finger and your thumb can act as the fulcrum in a pivot point between the scales of the razor and the blade.

The more the scales are closed the more pressure is applied to the edge of the blade. When we say using no pressure, we mean NO pressure.

I'm letting it glide with it's own weight, but my tapping thumb is getting sore so I'm going to call it a night - I think it's REALLY close, though... I can't even feel any friction of the blade against the stone anymore.

Thanks again for your help.

Sure, I never hone in a continuous operation. Sleep is the most important part of honing. That and a good beer. Mmmmm, maybe I can see why it took me so long to learn.

We'll all be here in the A.M., stay positive!

G'morning all -

Since I won't be doing a shave test until tonight, I'm working on getting the other razor (marked "solingen" on the scales and "silberstahl solingen" on the tang) into the same sharpness range as the boker. It's dull, but not as bad as the boker.

Back to the references about smoothness, and Josh's mention of making sure the bevel is good all the way to the edge, I've got a couple thoughts and would like opinons.

1. I should work on the lower grit stone until there's no difference in the feel of the blade moving through the stroke (i.e., no extra 'pull' at the toe at the end of the x stroke).

2. After that point, keep working until it passes the basic sharpening tests (smooth draw on the thumbnail test) and [red](opinions here please)[/red] at least catching and cutting SOME hair when passed over the arm (not a shaving stroke against the skin).

3. Once the edge passes the tests, move to the 8k and repeat, substituting thumbpad test and clean cutting of arm hair off the 8k, then polish and strop.

Your thoughts?

Goodmorning,

I've never noticed any difference in pull along a stone but that sounds like a good plan.

Knowing what a 4K can do is probably something that takes practice but I think that is a good plan too. I'd say for me I look more for a smooth bevel on the 4K, do a thumbnail test, and then press to 8k. If 8k doesn't work I do a few pyramids and then back to 8k, or just a couple of 4K. Just don't push the 4k or rather the edge against the 4k, too far for the edge to handle. A bad bevel is horrible to try and polish/sharpen.

On the thumbpad test... I'm guessing you use just enough pressure to barely feel the edge against your thumb? Is the edge fine enough to get the 'sticky' feeling off the 4k?

Mike,

I usually use the thumbpad test after stropping--it sticks like crazy then. I can't say about how it should feel after the 4K; I think you'll have to figure that one out on your own. I recently watched a video by Bill Ellis, a razor restoration expert, and he uses the thumbpad test exclusively, so I think you can develop the touch. And yes, just keep the pressure light. You'll be surprised how much pressure you can use as long as you don't make a slicing motion. But do be careful.

Alan's advice is good, especially as you're starting out. My bias is that I'd rather take off a little extra metal and be sure that I have a perfect bevel than to be conservative, but since you're still learning to hone I guess being conservative won't hurt anything. Try a conservative approach first--pyramids or working just on the 8K. But keep the bevel thing in the back of your mind; if the razor seems stuck at a pretty dull level, a bad bevel is a likely culprit.

I guess my main advice boils down to this: Even though the Norton is a "fast" hone, it can still take a while to get a good edge. So be critical of your technique, but don't get frustrated if one or two or 10 pyramids don't get you where you need to be. It might just be that the razor needs a little work.

Good luck,
Josh

I appreciate the advice... I was a bit confused when he referred to the thumbpad test off the 4k. It's not *quite* grabbing hair yet (the Solingen off the 4k) but it's getting closer...

I'm like you in the sense that my preference is to get the edge as good as it can be on a particular stone before moving up. I wish there was some sort of "standards" for what a blade *should* do (within reason) off a particular grit, something like -

4k - cuts into and smoothly pulls across a dampened nail without excessive dragging. Catches hairs when passed closely above skin

8k - "sticks to" a moistened thumb pad lightly touched to the edge. Cuts hairs with minimal pulling when passed closely above skin

Coticule - cuts your corneas if looked at edge-on. Hair jumps off the skin in fear if the edge comes within 3 feet... ;o)

ETA: I worked the solingen and the boker now with light pyramids...still no "stickiness" on the thumbpad test. Either I'm not recognizing it or I'm still not sharp. Shaving test will tell, I guess.

... and the results:

Did the first pass with the Boker - improved, but still pulling and skipping on the moustache/chin/neck.

Second pass with the Solingen - very improved, though it may have been helped by the Boker knocking down the bigger stuff, it was cutting the hair that the Boker pulled on.

Both were sort of rough - I didn't take them to the pasted strop before the normal strop. I'm going to continue working on them both and make sure that I paste them before the next shave. Once my coticule gets in, I hopefully won't have to worry about it.

I guess what I *thought* was that sticky feeling actually wasn't - hopefully when I *do* get it, it'll jump out at me and I'll say "ok, so *THAT'S* what they meant"....